The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Wednesday afternoon, presented Certificate of Return to the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the winner of the 2023 presidential election held last Saturday.
INEC chairman and Chief Returning Officer for the Federation, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, presented the Certificate at the National Collation Centre (NCC) in Abuja.
Also, the Vice President-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, was presented with his Certificate of Return.
Both Tinubu and Shettima were in company of their wives at the brief occasion which started at about 3.30pm.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and the National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), were also present at the occasion, among other APC chieftains.
Speaking after being presented with the Certificate of Return, President-elect Tinubu said the Certificate symbolises that anyone can achieve anything with a strong conviction and belief.
He promised to work day and night and to the best of his ability to make Nigeria better.
Earlier in the wee hours of the day, Prof. Yakubu declared Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as President-elect, for scoring the majority of valid votes cast and having satisfied the requirements of the law.
Tinubu polled a total 8,805,655 votes to defeat his closest challenger and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who garnered 6,984,520 votes.
Atiku was trailed behind by the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who scored 6,098,798 votes and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) who distantly secured 1,496,687 votes.
LEADERSHIP reports that about 18 candidates of different political parties contested the February 25 presidential election, which was Nigeria’s 7th consecutive presidential election in this 4th Republic or since return of Nigeria to democracy in 1999.
The trio of Tinubu and Atiku won 12 States each with Obi winning 11 and FCT, while Kwankwaso won only in his native Kano State.
However, Obi proved bookmakers wrong by winning the election in some States outside his native South-East zone, the most shocking being the deafeat of Tinubu, a political kingmaker, in his Lagos State domain by the LP candidate.
